(a) Field
The present document describes a nutriprotective diet comprising a nutriprotective amount of a sugar plant syrup, a sugar plant syrup extract, a sugar plant extract, a rejection of a sugar plant extract, or combinations thereof. The present document also describes a method of eliciting a nutriprotective effect in a subject, which comprises administering a nutriprotective amount of a nutriprotective diet according to the present invention. Also, the present document also describes a method of treating a subject with a disorder, by administering a nutriprotective amount of a nutriprotective diet according to the present invention. Also, the present document describes a process for the extraction of polyphenolic compounds from maple syrup using adsorbent materials, and the extracts obtained therefrom.
(b) Related Prior Art
Maple syrup (MS), a natural sweetener consumed as a palatable sweetener, is obtained by concentrating the sap collected from certain maple species including the sugar maple (Acer saccharum), which is native to North America. It is a very popular food product preferred by a large number of children, adults and even elderly people in the world.
With the realization that diets and lifestyle of different populations may determine their rates of cancer and other diseases, more and more individuals try to increase their intake in natural products such as MS with the expectation that it may also be good for their health.
Hepatic diseases or hepatic dysfunction are known to be closely involved in all life-style related diseases such as diabetes mellitus. In addition, decreased hepatic function is pointed out as a major cause of aging. In a modern era in which people are exposed to many factors that increase active oxygen species harmful to organs such as tobacco, alcohol, high-fat diet and stress, it can be said that people live in an environment that tends to damage hepatic function. Daily diet is an important key to prevent life-style related diseases including metabolic syndrome. Continuous intake of foods with liver-protecting function may be promising for their prevention.
Liver diseases are classified according to their cause into viral liver diseases, alcoholic liver diseases, liver diseases by drug toxicity, fatty liver diseases, autoimmune liver diseases, metabolic liver diseases and other liver diseases. Liver diseases are difficult to diagnose in early stages owing to the absence of subjective symptoms, and thus are the leading causes of death in many countries. However, there is still no effective therapeutic agent and diagnostic method for liver diseases.
Many studies on the use of natural materials for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases have been conducted. Typical examples of such natural materials include silymarin isolated from the seeds of Silybum marianum, gomisin isolated from Schizandra chinensis, glycyrrhizin isolated from licorice root, and the like. However, none relate to the use of MS.
The liver being the chemical factory of the human body, it is directly affected by our food-intake. Considering the world-wide popularity of MS, and the fact there is no scientific evidence available regarding the health-promoting effect of a maple syrup-containing diet, increased knowledge of the function of MS would aid in the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases such as liver diseases.